2006年VOA标准英语-Germany Favored in World Cup Group A

By Steve Schy
Washington
16 May 2006

Host Germany is favored to top Group A at the next month's 32-nation World Cup football finals. No World Cup host has ever failed to make it out of the group stage on home soil, and that trend is expected to continue.

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Germany's Bastian Schweinsteiger, left, challenges for the ball with Luckenwalde's Pascal Piecuch in a test match  
  

Germany was put into Group A in order to play at the country's three biggest stadiums, then got a fortuitous draw in December when Poland, Ecuador and Costa Rica were added to the group as first round opponents.

International football expert commentator¹ Derek Rae predicts that despite some problems, the draw could help Germany win Group A.

"It could have been an awful lot more difficult from the German point of view," he says. "The worst fear was that they might get a nightmare² draw. As it is, it is fairly straight-forward for a German side that has not exactly impressed over the last few months."

Derek Rae says German fans are concerned for several reasons.

"They have had difficulties in the build-up to the World Cup finals," he explains. "Coach Juergen Klinsmann, continues to live in California. He does fly to Germany regularly, but that is not good enough for a lot of people in Germany. And they have a young, raw side and certainly not the most gifted German team of all time."
 

Juergen Klinsmann  
  
Juergen Klinsmann, who played for Germany on its last World Cup winning team in 1990, took over as coach after Rudi Voeller's disappointing showing at the 2004 European Championship. But Klinsmann's non-traditional coaching methods have drawn³ the ire of many fans.

Few believe Germany has what it takes to win the World Cup. But with the home country advantage and players like Michael Ballack and Miroslav Klose, Rae likes Germany's chances of making it to the second round.

"I think Germany should win this group. Poland is not the strongest of European sides," he notes. "Ecuador and Costa Rica might have their moments in the group. Ecuador though, does not travel very well. Costa Rica has some merit⁴ to them. They came desperately⁵ close to coming out of the group at the last World Cup Finals in the Far East. So they will have to be watched and they, of course, will be Germany's first opponent - they will begin the competition in Munich on the ninth of June."

There was some controversy⁶ when Klinsmann named Jens Lehmann as his starting goalkeeper ahead of Oliver Kahn, who backstopped Germany to the World Cup final in 2002. But Rae says the move makes sense.

"I think if you study Juergen Klinsmann and his methods, I do not know that it is such a big surprise," he says. "Jens Lehmann is the sort of goalkeeper who I think goes along and fits into Juergen Klinsmann's playing system much more. And I think that just personality-wise he is perhaps a better fit as well."

Just two teams will advance from Group A, but none of the teams are ready to admit that they will not make it to the second round. Poland had a disappointing World Cup in 2002, failing to advance out of the first round despite a victory over the United States. But while coach Pawel Janas expects his team to make it into the second round, he says "you have to prepare and show it on the field."

Ecuador finished third in South American qualifying⁷ behind Brazil and Argentina, and coach Luis Fernando Suarez is hoping an immigrant trafficking scandal⁸ off the field will not be a distraction⁹. Costa Rica is hoping to catch opening game opponent Germany off guard, powered by a crop of newcomers who join nine veterans from 2002, when the Costa Ricans failed to advance to the second round only because of goal difference.

1 commentator   

n.注释者，解说者；实况广播评论员

参考例句：

• He is a good commentator because he can get across the game.他能简单地解说这场比赛，是个好的解说者。
• The commentator made a big mistake during the live broadcast.在直播节目中评论员犯了个大错误。

2 nightmare   

n.恶梦，可怕的事物，无法摆脱的恐惧

参考例句：

• I was glad to awake from such a nightmare.我庆幸终于从噩梦中醒来了。
• I had a nightmare last nightand,lost sleep.昨夜我作了个恶梦，失眠了。

3 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

4 merit   

n.优点，价值，功绩，成绩；vt.值得

参考例句：

• There is great merit in dealing fairly with your employees.公正地对待你的雇员有极大好处。
• History affords us lessons that merit attention.历史给我们提供了值得注意的借鉴。

5 desperately   

adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地

参考例句：

• He was desperately seeking a way to see her again.他正拼命想办法再见她一面。
• He longed desperately to be back at home.他非常渴望回家。

6 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

7 qualifying   

使具有资格的

参考例句：

• players who fail at the pre-qualifying stage 在预选赛中淘汰掉的选手
• A doctoral candidate is required to pass a qualifying examination. 考博士需通过一个资格考试。

8 scandal   

n.丑事，丑闻，流言蜚语，反感，愤慨

参考例句：

• Scandal and gossip are meat and drink to him.各种丑闻和流言蜚语是他最感兴趣的事。
• His theft from the shop caused scandal in the village.他因偷商店的东西引起全村的公愤。

9 distraction   

n.精神涣散，精神不集中，消遣，娱乐

参考例句：

• Total concentration is required with no distractions.要全神贯注，不能有丝毫分神。
• Their national distraction is going to the disco.他们的全民消遣就是去蹦迪。